Telescopic jump rope toy with selective latching structure

ABSTRACT

A toy for children, fabricated of two sets of joined telescopic sections of flexible multi-colored plastic tubing. Each section of tubing contains spaced interior projections to serve as bearing points to furnish a smooth sliding effect to the outer diameter of the next inner telescoped section which rides on the projections. To provide for selective movement of each inner telescopic section through the next outer section in which it rides, each inner section is provided with spaced exterior projections on the outer end thereof. These exterior projections must be properly oriented with respect to the inner projections of the next outer section to permit movement of the inner section through the outer section. The innermost section is a solid flexible plastic rod which joins the two opposed sets of telescopic sections.

United States Patent [1 1 Gingras Oct. 2, 1973 TELESCOPIC JUMP ROPE TOY WITH SELECTIVE LATCIIING STRUCTURE [75] Inventor: Claude A. Gingras, Lotbiniere,

Quebec, Canada [22] Filed: May 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 254,908

3,475,023 10/1969 Fauvelle 272/75 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-R. T. Stouffer Attorney-Howard l. Podell [57] ABSTRACT A toy for children, fabricatedof two sets ofjoined telescopic sections of flexible multi-colored plastic tubing. Each section of tubing contains spaced interior projections to serve as hearing points to furnish a smooth sliding effect to the outer diameter of the next inner telescoped section which rides on the projections. To provide for selective movement of each inner telescopic section through the next outer section in which it rides, each inner section is provided with spaced exterior projections on the outer end thereof. These exterior projections must be properly oriented with respect to the inner projections of the next outer section to permit movement of the inner section through the outer section. The innermost section is a solid flexible plastic rod which joins the two opposed sets of telescopic sections.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing; Figures TELESCOPIC JUMP ROPE TOY WITHSELECTIVE LATCHING STRUCTURE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a toy for children'fabricated of two sets of joined opposed telescopic sections of flexible multi-colored flexible plastic tubing.

An advantage of this invention is thatit encourages manual dexterity in young children .by encouraging them to rearrange the colorpatternsofethe(telescopic 3 sections.

A further advantage of this invention is that it :is readily stored, collapsing into a relatively shortzlength.

When the telescopic sections, comprising thestoy, are engaged together in thefully extended mode, zthe' flexibletube so formed maybe used by children asa jump rope or a dancingytoy.

The invention consists of an innermost .flexible plastie rod which is joined at each end toa setioftelescopic flexible plastic tubes. The interior of eachtube contains spaced projections to serve as bearing-surfaces to .the

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing in which: 1

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the completedevice;

FIG. 2 is en elevation view of one set of telescopic members forming the device;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the protrusions on the interior walls and walls of the tubes;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the protrusions on the exterior end wall of the tubing; and

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-section view of the protrusions on the interior walls of the tubes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote'similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. [illustrates the device 10 in the extended condition, with tubular end handle members 11 and 19 each serving as the housing in the retracted mode for one set of telescopic tubes, with central flexible rod joining both sets of opposed retractable tubes. I v

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, tube 14 rides over central flexible rod 15 and inside'of tube 13; tube 12 rides over tube 13 and inside of handle section ll on one side, while on the other side, tube 16 rides over central flexible rod 15 and inside of tube 17, with tube 18 riding over tube 17 and inside of handle section 19.

vHandle sections 11 and 19 are each perforated by holes 2'1through their ends so as to minimize suction or pressureeffects in sliding the telescopic sections.

As shown in FIG. 3, inside protuberances 22 are located inside of each hollow tube to serve as bearing pointsand to restrict passageof the partially externally beaded ends 23 of the adjacent next larger size tubing.

Similarly the interior end .25 of each section of tubing is;partially internally beaded so asto restrict passage of the partially externally beaded end 23 of the handle end of the adjacentinner plastic tube.

Internal protrubences 22 and internal end beads 25,

as well as external end beads 23 are each shaped as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 so as to take up sectors of less than 90 about the circumference of the tubing, said sectorsbeing spaced directly opposite each other.

Consequently, it is possible for the internal protrubence .22of one tube such as 12 to clear the external endbead 23 of the adjacent innertube such as 13 when the tubes 12 and 13 are properly rotated relative to each other, while the external bead 23of the inner tube such as tube 13 will not clear the internal protrubence 22 or internal end bead 25 of the adjacent outer tube 12 when the tubes Hand 13 are in other rotational relations to each other. I

The device 10 may be designed so that all the internal protrubences 22and end beads 25 of all the tubes lie on the same axial plane, simplifying the task of removing an internal tube such as 13 from its adjacent external tube 12. However, the preferred embodiment adds more interest to young children, as a toy, if the internal protrubences 22 and the internal end beads 25 of the 1 tubes do not lie in any one common axial plane, thus requiring the child to rotate each set of adjacent tubes to a particular relative rotational configuration when slipping the external end bead 23 of an inner tube such as 13 past an internal protuberance 22 or internal end bead 25 of the adjacent larger tube.

As shown in FIG. 6, each internal protuberance 22 and internal end bead 25 consists of two parallel internal circumferential ribs 27 separated by a circumferential notch 28. Each rib 27 is thickened at its rib end 29 so as to retain the end bead 25 of a tube which has been rotated into engagement in the notch 28 between adjacent ribs 27 of a protuberance 22, or internal end bead Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodimentof the invention described herein, it is'indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A telescopic collapsible jump rope toy for children, comprising a first set of telescopic flexible tubular sections, the innermost member of which is joined by a common rod to another relatively opposed second set of similar telescopic tubular sections, in which each tubular length of the first set of telescopic sections is interchangeable with the equivalent tubular length of the second set of telescopic sections, with the outermost section of each set of tubular sections being of a larger external diameter than the attached inner members so that each outermost section may serve as a jump rope handle in the extended mode of the jump rope toy, with each tubular section of the toy fitted with means to latch said section to the adjacent tubular section, in the fully extended position of the device, said latching means permitting disengagement of adjacent tubular members, when desired, so as free such adjacent sections from each other said latching means acting to free said adjacent sections when one tubular section is rotated relative to the adjacent tubular section, said latching means comprising spaced fixed projections adjacent the inner end of each tubular section on the inner wall thereof, and spaced fixed projections adjacent the outer end of each tubular section on the outer wall thereof, the spaced projections on the inner and outer wall of each tubular section being so spaced that when a user properly rotationally orients two adjacent sections, the outer wall projections of the inner section may be passed through the inner wall projections of the outer section.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which additional projections are located on the inner walls of a tubular section between the projections adjacent each end thereof so as to permit latching of said tubular section to an adjacent tubular section when the two tubular sections are in the partially extended position.

3. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which the device is fabricated of a resilient flexible plastic material. 

1. A telescopic collapsible jump rope toy for children, comprising a first set of telescopic flexible tubular sections, the innermost member of which is joined by a common rod to another relatively opposed second set of similar telescopic tubular sections, in which each tubular length of the first set of telescopic sections is interchangeable with the equivalent tubular length of the second set of telescopic sections, with the outermost section of each set of tubular sections being of a larger external diameter than the attached inner members so that each outermost section may serve as a jump rope handle in the extended mode of the jump rope toy, with each tubular section of the toy fitted with means to latch said section to the adjacent tubular section, in the fully extended position of the device, said latching means permitting disengagement of adjacent tubular members, when desired, so as free such adjacent sections from each other said latching means acting to free said adjacent sections when one tubular section is rotated relative to the adjacent tubular section, said latching means comprising spaced fixed projections adjacent the inner end of each tubular section on the inner wall thereof, and spaced fixed projections adjacent the outer end of each tubular section on the outer wall thereof, the spaced projections on the inner and outer wall of each tubular section being so spaced that when a user properly rotationally orients two adjacent sections, the outer wall projections of the inner section may be passed through the inner wall projections of the outer section.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which additional projections are located on the inner walls of a tubular section between the projections adjacent each end thereof so as to permit latching of said tubular section to an adjacent tubular section when the two tubular sections are in the partially extended position.
 3. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which the device is fabricated of a resilient flexible plastic material. 